The Sky Priestess: Astrologer, Doctor of Political Science, Spiritualist and Public Speaker

Blessings Everyone! The Mercury Retrograde ends today! Over the next few weeks, we will be revisiting decisions, communications, negotiations we made in partnerships and relationships with others. We will have the chance to make amends in situations which can (and ought to be) repaired, and the opportunity to find new approaches to move past old obstacles. Mercury Stations Direct at 12:28 pm (GMT + 8) at 16 Lib ’48.

Here’s a Head’s Up: At 7:11 am, Oct 30, Mercury will conjunct the North Node for the final time this year at 18 Libra ’16, activating a Nodal (Karmic) T-Square with Pluto and Uranus Retrograde. This will be a key opportunity to use the information you gathered during the Retrograde Period to work on some aspect of your relationships/partnerships/contracts or other negotiations.

Today, we’re also feeling the effects of Mars at the Anaretic Degree (i.e. 29 degrees) of Sagittarius. The lessons we have learnt from the ‘Action/Assertion’ planet in this sign to do with our sense of expansion, adventure, travel, higher education, philosophical understandings, Path in life, and our relationships with our Teachers/Gurus will be heightened. At 6:27 pm, October 26, Mars will move into the sign of the Sea-Goat, i.e. Capricorn.

At 10:38 pm, later today, Ceres will enter the 29th (Anaretic) degree of Scorpio. Here the Goddess Asteroid of Nurture (showing us how we best give and receive nurturing energy) is revisiting the lessons of her stay in the Scorpionic Underworld. Ceres or Demeter is the Goddess of the Harvest, of verdant abundance, of agriculture and the bounties of the Earth.

She is the mother of Persephone, the maiden who is abducted, raped and instated as the Queen of the Underworld by Hades/Pluto. The mother manages to secure 6 months out of 12 in the year where her daughter is free to roam the earth – the remaining months cause her mother to lament. The world experiences her grief and joy through the seasons: spring/summer (joy), autumn/winter (grief) or the simpler divisions of fruitful/unfruitful agricultural seasons (associated with Ceres) . Ceres moves into Sagittarius at 9:31 am, October 28.

The energy of Nurture, represented by Ceres, is focused upon the Deepest Moment of Darkness (Scorpio). We may find healing self/others by engaging in deep emotional catharsis and exploration as nurturing at this time. Physical touch and intimacy with a loved one can also bring us this sense of deep fulfillment. Others may fulfill Ceres’ longings through an exploration of the occult and the Deeper Mysteries it represents. As with all things, there is a balance called for in this placement – to ensure that the recipient of your healing, touch, explorations, etc. is firstly willing and able to participate in the process. Boundaries and the right use of power must be managed, particularly in parent-child relationships (owing to the Ceres-Persephone-Underworld connection).

On top of that, at 6:32 pm later today – we see the start of a Grand Fire Trine between Uranus Retrograde (13 Ari), Juno (6 Leo) and Vesta (9 Sag), whose effects will begin to build from this time. More on that in the days to come.

We’ve got other powerful influences already operating in the sky right now. Strongest of all is the aftermath of the Scorpio Solar Eclipse (see http://wp.me/p4OUNS-au for full article).